document what "kill -9 -1" does, etc.

diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 5f6b394a465944d56700637c0ed1b89156f8abd0..f8a21e77f9b3c1d93afc836740dfe53e6f1b503b 100644 (file)
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 procps-3.1.8 --> procps-3.1.9
 
 top: fix suspend/resume behavior
-top: ditch warning until a GOOD interface is found
+top: ditch warning until a GOOD interface is found    #188271
+kill: more info in the man page           #182414
 
 procps-3.1.7 --> procps-3.1.8
 

diff --git a/kill.1 b/kill.1
index b7e1712eb93c0905321ab903dfb2508fac023b7c..5c473f8fa4a598dafeb15e4f3be03a856f435e85 100644 (file)
--- a/kill.1
+++ b/kill.1
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ kill \- report process status
 .TS
 l l.
 kill pid ...   Send SIGTERM to every process listed.
-kill signal pid ...    Send a signal to every process listed.
+kill -signal pid ...   Send a signal to every process listed.
 kill -s signal pid ... Send a signal to every process listed.
 kill -l        List all signal names.
 kill -L        List all signal names in a nice table.
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ kill -V,--version Show version of program
 The default signal for kill is TERM. Use -l or -L to list available signals.
 Particularly useful signals include HUP, INT, KILL, STOP, CONT, and 0.
 Alternate signals may be specified in three ways: -9 -SIGKILL -KILL.
+Negative PID values may be used to choose whole process groups; see the
+PGID column in ps command output. A PID of -1 is special; it indicates
+all processes except the kill process itself and init.
 
 .SH SIGNALS
 The signals listed below may be available for use with kill.
@@ -75,14 +78,31 @@ You may need to run the command described here as /bin/kill to solve
 the conflict.
 
 .SH EXAMPLES
-kill -9 -1
-.br
-kill -l 11
-.br
-kill -L
-.br
-kill 123 543 2341 3453
 
+.SS
+.B "kill -9 -1"
+.nf
+Kill all processes you can kill.
+.fi
+.PP
+.SS
+.B "kill -l 11"
+.nf
+Translate number 11 into a signal name.
+.fi
+.PP
+.SS
+.B "kill -L"
+.nf
+List the available signal choices in a nice table.
+.fi
+.PP
+.SS
+.B "kill 123 543 2341 3453"
+.nf
+Send the default signal, SIGTERM, to all those processes.
+.fi
+.PP
 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 top(1) skill(1) kill(2) renice(1) nice(1)